PAINTING APPARATUS

Abstract

A painting apparatus comprising a paint container and a closure module, the paint container having a screw threaded rim, the closure module having a main housing and an outer ring, the outer ring having a screw thread, in which the outer ring is rotatable relative to the main housing such that the screw thread cooperates with the threaded rim of the paint container to secure the closure module onto the paint container without having to rotate the main housing relative to the paint container.

Description

The present invention relates to a painting apparatus.

It is known for users to decant paint from a paint container into a roller tray, load a roller sleeve with paint using the roller tray, and then apply paint to a surface such as a wall or ceiling with the roller sleeve. Users find this known process both time consuming, in that it is necessary to continually load the roller sleeve with paint from the roller tray and decant paint from the paint container to the roller tray. The risk of spilling paint is also high due to the need to decant paint into the roller tray, and then load the roller sleeve before applying the paint to the surface.

Painting apparatus exists whereby paint is automatically fed from the paint container to the roller sleeve without the need to decant the paint into a roller tray, and load the roller sleeve. The applicants co-pending patent application GB2448578 describes a painting apparatus including a roller assembly and a closure module, the closure module fitting onto a paint container. The closure module includes a pump which supplies paint to the roller assembly via a dip-tube assembly.

It would be desirable to improve the means by which the closure module is secured to the paint container.

Thus, according to the present invention, there is provided a paint container assembly comprising a paint container and a closure module, the paint container having a screw threaded rim, the closure module having a main housing and an outer ring, the outer ring having a screw thread, in which the outer ring is rotatable relative to the main housing such that the screw thread cooperates with the threaded rim of the paint container to secure the closure module onto the paint container without having to rotate the main housing relative to the paint container.

Advantageously, this enables the closure module to utilise the screw thread on the paint container to secure the closure module to the paint container without having to rotate the main housing. Avoiding rotation of the main housing reduces the risk of any components connected to the main housing, for example, a conduit connected to a roller assembly, from becoming tangled as they rotate with the main housing.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art painting apparatus,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a painting apparatus according to the present invention.

FIGS. 3 to 5 are perspective views of part of the painting apparatus of FIG. 2,

FIG. 6 is a sectional front view of part of the painting apparatus of FIG. 2

FIGS. 7 to 11 are perspective views of part of the painting apparatus of FIG. 2,

FIGS. 12 and 13 are simplified sectional views of part of the painting apparatus of FIG. 2,

FIGS. 13A to 18 are perspective views of part of the painting apparatus of FIG. 2,

FIGS. 19 to 21 are simplified sectional views of part of the painting apparatus of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of part of the painting apparatus of FIG. 2,

FIG. 1 shows a prior art painting apparatus 400 comprising a paint container 412 , a closure module 415, a dip-tube assembly 490, and a roller assembly 480. The dip-tube assembly is fluidly connected to the roller assembly 480 via conduit 430. Such an apparatus is described in GB2448578.

With reference to FIGS. 2 to 22 there is shown a painting apparatus 10 of the present invention comprising a paint container 12, a closure module 15, a dip-tube assembly 190, and a roller assembly 195. The dip-tube assembly 190 is fluidly connected to the roller assembly 210 via conduit 130.

The roller assembly 210 comprises a roller cage 212 which houses a roller sleeve 214, and a switch 216.

The paint container 12 includes a main body 14, a collar 16, a handle 18, and a removable closure 20. The main body 14 has an inwardly tapering neck portion 22 and an upstanding rim portion 24. The upstanding rim portion 24 has a rim 25 which defines a container aperture 26 (FIGS. 4 and 4A).

The collar 16 has an upstanding rim 27 with an internal web 28 projecting radially inwardly therefrom. The web 28 includes a dip-tube aperture 29 which is dimensioned such that it can receive a dip-tube assembly (see below). Aperture 31 is defined between the internal web 28 and the rim 27 (FIG. 5).

The collar 16 snap-fits onto the upstanding rim 24 of the paint container by engagement of a main body projection 32 with a collar projection 30 (FIG. 6).

The collar 16 also includes a screw thread 34 onto which a screw thread 36 of the closure 20 is screwed so as to close and seal the paint container 12 (FIG. 6). The screw thread 24 of the collar 16 also engages with the closure module 15 (see below) when the closure 20 has been removed.

The handle 18 is secured to the collar 16 in a known way.

In FIG. 7, the closure module 15 includes a main housing 36 and a circular outer ring 38. The main housing comprises an upper casing 40, and a lower casing 42. Typically the closure module components are made of plastic, for example, ABS. In FIG. 14, the closure module 15 is shown with the outer ring 38 present.

The upper case 40 includes a handle 71 to enable the control module 15 to be carried.

In FIGS. 10, 11, and 16, the upper casing 40 has an upper surface 41 upon which is located a dip-tube aperture 44. The upper casing 40 further includes two identical apertures 46 arranged such that when assembled between the upper and lower casing, the outer ring 38 can be manipulated through the apertures 34 (see below).

In FIGS. 9, 12, and 15, the lower casing 42 has an upper surface 48 and a lower surface 50. The upper surface 48 includes a dip-tube aperture 52 on its upper surface 48. The lower casing 42 includes two identical apertures 54 arranged such that when assembled with the upper casing 40, both the apertures 46 on the upper casing 40 coincide with the apertures 54 on the lower casing such that the outer ring 38 can be manipulated (see below). The lower surface 50 includes a recess 56 into which handle 18 locates when the closure module 15 is secured onto the paint container 12.

The lower casing 42 include three horizontal inwardly extending ledges 66 (FIG. 15).

The lower casing 42 also includes a downwardly extending projection 70 which is dimensioned such that it locates inside and through aperture 31 of collar 15.

In FIG. 8, the outer ring 38 has an outer radial surface 58 and an inner radial surface 60. The outer surface 58 includes a plurality of indents 62 to enable the outer ring 38 to be manipulated and rotated.

The closure module 15 is assembled by positioning the outer ring 38 inside the lower casing 42 such that the outer ring 38 sits upon the ledges 66. A spring 80 is positioned between an upper surface 82 of the outer ring 38 and a lower inside surface 84 of the power casing 42 such that the outer ring 38 is biased downwards towards the ledges 66 (FIG. 13). The spring force is selected such that the outer ring 38 can be rotated by a normal user.

The upper and lower casings are secured together using screws (not shown). Once assembled together, the outer ring 38 is visible through apertures 46,44, and the dip-tube apertures 44,52 are vertically aligned (FIGS. 8 and 12).

In FIGS. 3, 16, and 17, the closure module 15 can then be positioned onto the paint container 12 such that the downwardly extending projection 70 locates inside aperture 31 of the collar 16. The tolerance level between the projection 70 and aperture 31 ensures that the dip-tube apertures 52,44 on the closure module 15 are vertically aligned with the dip-tube aperture 29 on collar 16.

The outer ring 38 is then rotated such that screw thread 64 engages with the screw thread 34 of the collar to secure the closure module 15 onto the paint container 12 (FIG. 13). In FIG. 13A the outer ring 38 is shown screwed onto collar 16 without showing the other components of the control module 15.

It will be appreciated that the provision of downward projection 70 prevents the closure module 15 from rotating relative to the paint container 12 which is advantageous when rotating the outer ring 38 as only one hand is required. In an alternative embodiment without the downward projection, it may be necessary to hold the main casing with one hand whilst rotating the outer ring with the other to prevent rotation of the main casing.

In FIG. 18 there is shown a dip-tube assembly 180. The dip-tube assembly 190 comprises a sealed cylindrical housing 185 having a gear pump 186 located at its lower free end. The cylindrical housing 185 includes a lower casing 192 to retain the gear pump 186. The lower casing 192 includes a plurality of holes (not shown) which are sized so as to prevent particles of greater than 2 mm passing into the gear pump.

In FIG. 20 the closure module 15 includes a motor 160 and a drive gear 181 which connects the motor 160 to a drive gear 130 of the dip-tube assembly 190 when the dip-tube assembly 195 is inserted through apertures 44,52,29 into the paint container allowing the gears 181,130 to engage with each other.

In FIG. 21, the gear pump 186 comprises two meshed gears 140,142. Gear 140 is connected via drive shaft 189 to gear 130 such that rotation of gear 181 which is connected to the motor 60 causes the two meshed gears 140,142 to rotate. Rotation of the gears 140,142 by activation of switch 216 causes paint 150 to be sucked up through the holes in the casing 192, and into the tube 188 via a hole 193 and channel arrangement 195. Tube 188 is fluidly connected via a connector 197 (shown as a broken continuation lines in FIG. 21) to tube 120, and therefore paint is driven from the paint container to the roller assembly 180. The tube 120 has an internal diameter of 6 mm.

The downward projection 70 prevents relative rotation between the paint container and the closure module and therefore vertical misalignment of apertures 52,44 on the control module and aperture 29 on the collar 16. Maintaining alignment of the apertures therefore prevents the dip-tube assembly 180 from being damaged (FIG. 22).

When the closure module is secured on the paint container, a seal is formed therebetween such that paint can only leave the paint container via the dip-tube assembly, i.e. there is a seal (not shown) between the dip-tube assembly and the closure module, and between the closure module and the paint container.

In an alternative embodiment the collar of the paint container can include a dip-tube aperture located at the centre-point of the paint container opening as opposed to being offset from the centre-point. Similarly, the collar can simply include an opening without the provision of a dip-tube aperture. In both cases, it is not necessary to prevent rotation of the closure module relative to the paint container, and therefore there is no requirement for a downward projection as in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 22.

In an alternative embodiment the paint container can be provided as a one-piece moulding including the collar and main body as opposed to separate arrangement of the above embodiments.

Claims

1. A painting apparatus comprising a paint container and a closure module, the paint container comprising a screw threaded rim, the closure module comprising a main housing and an outer ring, the outer ring comprising a screw thread, wherein the outer ring is rotatable relative to the main housing such that the screw thread cooperates with the threaded rim of the paint container to secure the closure module onto the paint container without having to rotate the main housing relative to the paint container.

2. The painting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the paint container further comprises an aperture through which an associated dip-tube can be passed through and inserted into the paint container, wherein the screw threaded rim defines an opening of the paint container, wherein the aperture is offset from a center point of the paint container opening when the closure module is secured on the paint container.

3. The painting apparatus according to claim 1, the closure module further comprising a first feature, and the paint container further comprising a second feature, wherein the first and second features cooperate to prevent rotation of the main housing relative to the paint container when the closure module is secured on the paint container.

4. The painting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first feature is a downward projection, and the second feature is an aperture, the downward projection being dimensioned such that it locates inside the aperture thereby preventing relative rotation between the main housing and the paint container.

5. The painting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the closure module further comprises a lower casing with a lower surface and a recess positioned on the lower surface, wherein the recess houses a handle of the paint container when the closure module is secured on the paint container.

6. A closure module comprising a main housing and an outer ring, the outer ring comprising a screw thread, wherein the outer ring is rotatable relative to the main housing such that the screw thread cooperates with a threaded rim of an associated paint container to secure the closure module onto the paint container without having to rotate the main housing relative to the paint container.

7. The painting apparatus according to claim 2, the closure module further comprising a first feature, and the paint container further comprising a second feature, wherein the first and second features cooperate to prevent rotation of the main housing relative to the paint container when the closure module is secured on the paint container.

8. The painting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first feature is a downward projection, and the second feature is an aperture, the downward projection being dimensioned such that it locates inside the aperture thereby preventing relative rotation between the main housing and the paint container.

9. The painting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the closure module further comprises a lower casing with a lower surface and a recess positioned on the lower surface, wherein the recess houses a handle of the paint container when the closure module is secured on the paint container.

10. The painting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the closure module further comprises a lower casing with a lower surface and a recess positioned on the lower surface, wherein the recess houses a handle of the paint container when the closure module is secured on the paint container.

11. The painting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the closure module further comprises a lower casing with a lower surface and a recess positioned on the lower surface, wherein the recess houses a handle of the paint container when the closure module is secured on the paint container.

12. The painting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the closure module further comprises a lower casing with a lower surface and a recess positioned on the lower surface, wherein the recess houses a handle of the paint container when the closure module is secured on the paint container.

13. The painting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the closure module further comprises a lower casing with a lower surface and a recess positioned on the lower surface, wherein the recess houses a handle of the paint container when the closure module is secured on the paint container.